Hello everyone, I just recently picked up a 1997 Isuzu Rodeo. I read a few posts on here and saw that a few people say that theseRodeo''saren''t very "reliable" and the engines "suck".I''m wondering if there is anything I should be concerned about now. The vehicle has 133K miles, 3.2 V6 with 5spd and 4wd. It was a one owner and is absolutely mint. The only interior flaw is the console lid looks goofy from having arms rested on it for 133K, and the only exterior one is a small dent in the door (looks like a golfball hit it) and a scratch on the fender flare. She drives amazing, fires right up, smooth as hell. Now after reading all this stuff I''m wondering if Ishouldn''t have bought it lol. We just had a little boy on the 5th of august andI wanted to buy something I could drive him around in if my wife is gone (she has an07'' Camry and I have a lifted67'' Chevy 4x4 thatisn''t very good for babies lol). Any information or advice would be great, so far I love it Edited by: RamAirZ

 

What is up with all the apostrophes?

 

The SOHC 3.2 is very reliable. The only real concern with them is ''lifter tick''. Which can either be sticky hydraulic lash adjusters (most cases) or worn lifter pivot rail (a few cases). To prevent the lifter tick problem use seafoam treatments before oil changes and use a good quality filter. You didnt say if yours is automatic or 5 speed. The auto trannies are the acheles heal of isuzus. They are GM 4L30e''s which do not like to be neglected. Alot of ppl are under the impression they are a sealed trans since they dont have a dip stick but they arent. They need regular service intervals. Most die early because of neglect.

 

It''s a 5spd (It''s up there after the 3.2 V6 thing). I was happy when I saw that, it should be a T5 in 97'' correct? So get that seafoam stuff from autozone and run through it before each oil change? I read something about switching to synthetic oil because of tolerance issues, any suggestions? I love the way this thing drives so far, wish it had more power (all my vehicles in the last6 years have had 300hp or more lol) but I bought it as something to carry the baby in so I don''tNEED alot of power. I was thinking of doing a 2" lift and 31''s down the road and possibly the manual locking hub switch if I run into any problems with these auto-locs. Glad to hear that they are reliable, I don''t have much experience with the isuzu engines (I know the GM series before these).

 

Sorry I missed the 5speed.

Isuzu used Borg Warner and their own corporate 5 speed transmissions on rodeos and troopers. I beleive the BWs were only on the 4cyl though. The Isuzu MUA5 is pretty much bullet proof as long as you use the correct fluid in it. Its made to use 5w30 motor oil instead of gear oil. I use Amsoil 5w30 synthetic MTF since I dont like using motor oil where gears are concerned. The t-case uses the same. I''ve only seen a couple posts out of thousands the last few years about the needle bearings for the front output shaft disintegrating, those guys do hard core offroading though. The only other problem I know of was a broken rear output shaft but he is running dual transfer cases and 40" tires, got on the throttle a little too hard on a tough obstacle.

1st gens have larger wheel openings and will fit a 32" tire without a lift and no rubbing. Independent4x.com is pretty much the only aftermarket Isuzu company and has everything needed for a lift. Calmini also has stuff but is usually more expensive and has terrible customer service. Matt (indy4x owner) owns Isuzus himself.

For oil, Jerry Lemond (Isuzu mechanic instructor for over 20 yrs) recommends Shell Rotella T 5w40 synthetic. Its for diesel engines but can also be run safely in gas engines. It has superior cleaning and lubricating properties. I have been running Mobil 1 and then Valvoline 5w30 max life synthetic in mine with good results. I will probably eventually switch to the rotella. I use 1/2 can of seafoam in the oil before oil changes. I dump it in then drive to the oil change place (about 8 miles).

 

Sweet thanks for the info. I should be fine running the seafoam through it and switching to synthetic correct? I don''t plan on going crazy with this thing, just a few little fun things lol. I have some Billet Specialties wheels on my 67'' that have 35" BFG Mud terrains, I was thinking of slapping them on just to see if the bolt holes and hub opening work and possible running those down the road (with smaller tires). I''ve been checking out independent4x and I''m thinking of picking up the shackles from them.

 

Don''t forget to clean your EGR valve every so often. If you are doing seafoam on oil changes that will help. But, if the person before you didn''t do it, you could have some buildup and eventually have it spit out that code.